A/N: Another part of the Cirebon Liberation Campaign story-arc.

6 July 2034, 0800 hour, Indonesian Army forward HQ, Satria Hotel, General Ahmad Yani Road, Cirebon, West Java.

Cpl. William, 2nd Squad, 1st Platoon, A Company, 288th Pelangi Nusantara Volunteer Infantry Battalion, National Volunteer Force

It's another halt, and consolidation phase, while the drones are still flying 24/7 to ensure none of the hostile counterparts could target us.

After clearing communists in Perumnas and later Ciputra Housing Complexes, we started to obtain the larger picture about the disposition of the enemies in the remaining unsecured part of the city; Our retribution so far yielded the loss of their overall commander assigned to defend the city, plus the subsequent lack of supply on their own. But we got a new problem as announcement from the higher command broke the news.

"Attention, all friendly forces, this is command, we have confirmed that the NII's overall civilian leader (wali) for Cirebon and the surrounding area had been killed in an air strike at 0730 Western Indonesia Time. Surviving NII fighters are surrendering, but some of them are still continued fighting or blowing themselves up , with two drone strikes of theirs alone had costed us six of our own, and a suicide attack that damaged one of our forward depots. On the other hand the vacuum had been used by the FDNI by an attempt to occupy the city for themselves and obtain significant propaganda gain by managing to control territory of their own especially this city, a strategic location. The Reds since three days ago had occupied the Kalijaga Road and it's surrounding area including the Nusantara Fishing Port (Pelabuhan Perikanan Nusantara) in Kejawanan, and the Kejawanan beach, one of the important tourist object in this city. They have commit atrocities by executing suspected "capitalists" and "parasites" such as shop owners, and our captured soldiers and police officers not unlike the NII. The objective today is clearing the all of the Eastern Cirebon sector from the communists. Complete this and Cirebon will be fully ours again. Good luck, defenders of Indonesia, and God be with us!"

"Hoorah!" "Merdeka!" shouted several soldiers upon hearing that announcement.

Upon the end of the announcement we board our armored truck again, parked at the police station nearby and roll out together with Anoas and Kobras from the regular army.

During the short ride we later contacted by Wambe for information on support. "To all Alpha Victor callsign, air support and arty availability will be restricted in this sector because of many factories in the area. We cannot risk health and further environmental hazard from chemicals present there. Right now, we redirect some of our copters into your sector to prepare for your arrival, Alpha Victor Six, out". We quickly passed the Ahmad Yani flyover and upon exiting the flyover, from an abandoned factory we're once again greeted by automatic fire and we're immediately dismounted.

We can hear a battle cry "No pasaran!" I can see fighters with red capes or red masks and wearing black clothes engaged us with MAG machine guns and AK rifles atop the abandoned factory.

"Sir, what's No pasaran mean?" I asked Stephen while firing my SS2 covered by the MRAP I rode. "It's Spanish for they shall not pass. Mostly nowadays used by so called antifascists or better, communists, which now stabbed your country in the back once again like in 1948." I nodded, as subsequently a crack of rifle behind us, and the communist machine gunner fell to his death.

"Target down" said a voice hidden somewhere.

Enemy fire also come from Japfa Comfeed (a company that produce animal feed), across the abandoned factory belonged to PT Sanitas Consumer Goods.

And promptly, our own small kamikaze drone arrived in force after the sniper behind us, as several hidden positions were exposed, and subsequently dispatched, many were on the outer perimeter of the factories.

"Let's assault that factory building" said Lt. Rustanto to the entire 1st Platoon. "We're need armored cover!" A Kobra IFV with cage armor crashed into the gate of the animal feed factory and we're entered the complex.

With rebel reserve forces detected, retaking some of their positions that had been taken down by drones, the commies also tried to blow the said IFV, only to be greeted with machine gun fire from it's turret, and a team of anti-drone gun equipped soldiers accompanying it.

"What do you waiting for, people? Go and cover our support!" The Kobra's 30 mm chain guns opened up, shattering suppressing fire and shattered the glass door of the main administration and office building of the factory compound, while we advance inside.

Upon entering the main building two FDNI fighters greeted us with rifle fire from the stairs leading to the second floor, but they fell to our guns. Like usual, we checked various rooms in the building for enemies. In a conference room, we encountered four fighters caught by surprise on our entry.

Subsequent check of their bodies revealed their affiliation through their patches. "Brigade Wiji Thukul" (Wiji Thukul Brigade) (1) I announced. "This unit is a Marxist-leaning brigade active mostly in Central Java, but also in the West Java as well. All manned by our own people. Elements of Batalyon Komune Jawa Barat (West Java Commune Battalion) also had engaged our forces"

We continued the search and more communist fighters burst out from the rooms in the office results in a close range firefight. "Cover me!" I said upon emptying my SS2 magazine and need time to reload the rifle. Abe covered my with his F2000 and later, a short burst from Handy's Minimi. The engagement continues.

"Whoever try to kill my loved ones shall face my rifle" I said upon killing a fair-skinned female FDNI fighter with my SS2, and then another rebel wearing balaclava found out why it's bad to be one, his head got holed while trying to force me into a melee with his bayonet. "Some must be extreme idealistic activists back then"

"I'm a woman but I also can fight like my love!" proclaimed Agnes, who stand behind me, also firing her SS2 and killed another female communist fighter try to fire her MP5.

"Frag out!" Rudi's fragmentation 40 mm grenade finished off the rest of the charging reds. Other enemies ahead were smart enough to pop their bodies in short time, covered by doors and fired as we advance.

"Clear"

1st squad on our left flank "Clear!"

3rd squad hollered us that they entered another part of this premises, the quality control laboratory and cleared it all, unfortunately, with two friendly KIAs.

....................................................................................................

Reconsolidation later, but then came a bad news.

"2nd platoon is currently pinned down near the main production building by rifle and MG fire from the rooftop, requesting support".

"Alright 1st platoon" said Rustanto on the radio, "Get into the nearest rooms near the production building, we're supporting them from the higher ground!"

My squad subsequently occupied one of the offices, probably used by the production manager.

"Pick your targets and open fire!" The engagement was another swift affair, with an explosion from one of our FPV drones silenced the last machine gun position.

The 2nd platoon leader hollered "Thanks for your support, we proceeding to the main production building".

Later "1st platoon, we are going to support the 2nd, squad basis" - it means detaching one or two squad in case the 2nd wanted our help.

"Entering the compound" said Sgt. Stephen upon climbing one of the ladders to the second story of the production area, under heavy gunfire. The squad entered the second floor for better vantage and support the 5th, which I had heard are heavily engaged by the communists. Inside the production area we encountered the 5th squad again, engaging in fighting against enemies especially below our position. Despite covered themselves in machineries, the rebels inside were immediately outnumbered and outgunned, finally retreating - mostly not making it out...

Other squad from the 1st Platoon also present and clearing other part of the factory compound.

5 minutes later, the factory declared as secure. No casualties from the good guys.

"Let's clear another factory behind this complex" said Lt. Rustanto showing the tacmap on his IFS tablet. "PT Arteria Daya Mulia" (a manufacturer of fishing equipments). The platoon quickly reassembled and moved into the second factory via mouseholing the Japfa Comfeed' factory rear wall and passing trees quietly to avoid detection, always with at least one drone overhead.

"I can see enemy snipers on top of the factory, two with light machine guns, and two with RPG" reported one drone operator

"Confirmed" said Janice using her personal binocular. Before that, however the 1st Platoon had occupied the rooftop and took our role in covering fire.

"Let's go!"

Demolition team of the platoon stepped forward, two C4 charges in two separate position in the walls surrounding the factory. "Fire in the hole!"

Two different direction of breaching. 1st-3rd squad got tasked to assault the production area, while the 4th-6th squad were clearing warehouses and offices inside the complex.

Inside a production building we're engaged by black mask wearing fighters shouting battle cry "Hanya ada satu kata, lawan!" (only one word, resist!) and "For the fisherfolk and the peasant!" while firing their motley collection of rifles, from AR-15 platforms, AKs, SS1/SS2, and even two very old Mosin-Nagant bolt-action rifle and Beretta M12 SMGs.

Even while less equipped compared to our force, but the accuracy of their fire are terrifying. In fact my left shoulder was grazed by a bullet probably from the Mosin. The offender was soon dispatched by a female member of the 4th squad firing her SS2.

"You're OK?" said Sidik who approached me and later patched me up with bandages. "Thanks!" I said upon Sidik finished his treatment.

We advance into the second floor of the factory and from several rooms in the building, more communist fighters burst out with AK type and M4 carbines. But we're more than ready and trained for this kind of combat; several of ours were shot up, one from the 5th even need to be evacuated, but the communists were shot to pieces. Desperate, one even rigged grenades to his chest try to blow himself up with the Indonesian forces; but his suicidal course was stopped in it's tracks by a shot from Rudi.

We fell back and ducked when the grenades later exploded, sending shrapnels everywhere; The only casualties were LCpl Gary Alijono, from the 6th squad, which was closest to the blast site. He would be evacuated later and thankfully the entire platoon know that he made it alive.

We take several patches and possibly important documents from dead communists and for sake of memento, Putu unleashed her naughtier side and found a can of black colored spray paint nearby; she subsequently painted the section of the abandoned factory's wall with this following word

"Milik RI" (Belong to the Republic of Indonesia)

She also later added a hammer and sickle defaced with "X" signalling anti-communist stance of our forces. Rudi, meanwhile found some sort of membership cards from a dead communist fighter in the ladder leading to the factory's second floor.

He showed the card to me and I read it's description "Partai Perjuangan Rakyat Indonesia/Party of the People's Struggle of Indonesia..." approached us and after checking the card, he said "This is a technically illegal, but now openly operating, Marxist-Leninist-Maoist party inspired by Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and the leading and guiding party in the broad-based FDNI, like all communist movements which need a vanguard party for their so called revolution, for example, like I said, the NDF-CPP-NPA in the Philippines. It was formed by merger of three extra parliamentary parties, the Partai Rakyat Pekerja/Workers People Party (PRP), Partai Pembebasan Rakyat/People's Liberation Party (PPR), and Partai Rakyat Demokratik (Democratic People Party/PRD)" I explained.

After evacuating our wounded by air, we took some time to replenish our body fluids with little water, and later Captain Wuwur ordered our platoon to advance to a settlement near the factory complex, in the Kalijaga Road. The Captain also had ordered the 2nd Platoon to support us from the Kalijaga Road, backed with armored and engineering vehicles from the 11th Brigade. After another mouseholing, this time using a captured RPG-7 from a dead communist; we entered a small settlement close to the fishing equipment factory and then gunfire greeted us again; and the firefight ensued are dangerously close-ranged.

"Get down and stay low!" said Lt. Rustanto on the radio. I aimed the SS2 to a house window suspected as the enemy's position. And my guess was correct as a communist fighter pops up and before he can fire, my SS2 ended his life. We quickly moved into a street nearby and engaged enemies from all sides.

"Need cover fire!" said Fujita, engaging three fighters firing from another house.

"Understood" said Handy which immediately leap-frog to Fujita's position and support him with his Minimi, finally silenced the last enemies in the small settlement. After 3 minutes of heavy firefight, Lt. Rustanto contacted us and gave us order for another house-clearing ops.

We called for robotic support from HQ before entering, and its eyes laid the truth bare on how that house was fully rigged by bombs.

"I think the NII who installed it (the bombs), the Commies weren't even capable to detect IEDs in places they occupied or have capability to create similar device. And the bombmakers could possibly be not our people, could be from Arab." said Abe to me upon the call was finished.

We left the house marked for support to deal with, and when we reached yet another settlement across the Kalijaga road the reds opened fire - this time however we got 2nd Platoon and one Anoa engineering vehicle that will deal with the IED. In its support, two Kobra IFVs, it's 30 mm cannons raged against suspected enemy position in houses nearby.

"Get down!" said a soldier when communists begin firing captured mortars near our position.

"Another red has been neutralized" I said upon my shot killed a Wiji Thukul Brigade fighter firing an SS2 into my squad's position. Then, the Lieutenant ordered us to advance in order to take out enemy mortars. A fresh multicopter drone had identified the mortar position which was near an abandoned gas station. Backed by our Anoas and later, MRAPs which has been once again deployed into our position, we move further into Kalijaga Road. Of course while avoiding it's barrage.

"Contact, enemy infantry!" said a 2nd platoon fighter. Not only mortar, Wiji Thukul fighters perched in two storey buildings across the electric vehicle charging station opened fire.

"Stay low!" ordered a sergeant from 2nd platoon 1st squad upon a 7.62 mm bullet almost hit one of his volunteers. Meanwhile, we focused our sight on a juicier target. I don't know what genius they are, but they managed to erect a mortar firing position with sandbags inside the charging complex with it's inherent danger of electrical fires. Three 40mm grenades were fired almost simultaneously killed all of it's crew and it's support infantry.

"Ramlan!" Stephen barked.

"This is Alpha Victor 2-4 be advised mortars has been dealt with, over and out". Later on, "Be advised, we have some good news, Army Raiders inserted via helicopter has retaken the Cirebon Thermal Power Plant (PLTU Cirebon). This will be a boost for us." said Battalion HQ directly to the radio.

"New orders... we are to support 3rd platoon's advance to Mundu and prepare to cut off expected enemy reinforcements, Siliwangi Division, three battalions of volunteers, and Marines were currently clearing buildings near Nusantara Fishing Port in preparation to retake it" hollered Captain Wuwur on the radio. "The Army Raiders will definitely be grateful for reinforcements after they had retaken the power plant even while I heard they are still in good shape. Alpha Victor Lead out"

Notes:

(1). Wiji Thukul was one of dissidents in the New Order era, a poet, and was disappeared approximately April 1998, one month before the end of Soeharto's regime. By the way, he is indeed a Marxist. (both marxism and New Order dictatorship are evil!).